Everybody's Changing
by KariLeBeard
Summary: Love. Trust. Friendship. Anne Prince learns about a lot more than magic during her sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
1. Draco's Idea

**Disclaimer: **I do not claim ownership over any of the characters created and owned by J.K. Rowling or the world of Harry Potter. The following story is my own creation and by no means canon, although there may occasionally be similarities to the original story line. However, I can almost guarantee that not everything will follow the book(s).

* * *

**Episode 1: Draco's Idea**

I'm Anne Prince – 6th year Slytherin. Pureblood, yes, but I'm not a snob about it. _Professor _Severus Snape is my cousin, but that hardly gives me any unfair advantages at school. Oh, I have learned plenty from Sev _outside_ of school, but not much of it has been anything I could use here – not without getting into serious trouble, anyway.

Severus had personally delivered my Hogwarts letter when I was 11.

oOo

_"Annie, Severus is here!" my mother called up. I had seen him walking up the path from my window._

_"I'll be right down!"_

_I sprinted down the stairs. It was here! Of course I had known about Hogwarts almost since birth, but it was still hard not to be excited about my Hogwarts letter. Severus had promised he would bring it to me if Dumbledore allowed it, and he had._

_"Lissandra," he greeted my mother with a nod._

_"How are you, Severus?"_

_I interrupted before he could respond._

_"Do you have it?" I said eagerly, still catching my breath. I would have flown down, but Mother had reminded me that I probably shouldn't get too used to flying since I wouldn't be allowed my own broom at Hogwarts until I passed Flying Lessons._

_"It's always a pleasure seeing you, Severus," Mother nodded to him. "I'll let the two of you talk," she laughed and went back to her roses._

_He extracted the letter from within his robes and waved it just above my reach. "I'm glad to see you too, Annie."_

_"Oh come off it, Sev! We saw each other last weekend when we started my lessons. Now give it here," I made a move to snatch the letter from him._

_He bopped me on the head with the envelope before placing it in my waiting hands._

_"So you'll be my Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts too?" I asked, tracing the wax seal._

_"No, Annie. At Hogwarts, I am the Potions master."_

_"Potions…" I paused to consider this. "Cool. So will you finally teach me to brew Veritaserum?" I grinned, already knowing what he would say._

_He shook his head, his lip curling slightly. "Perhaps," he replied, "if –"_

_I sighed, "If my father approves, I_ know."

oOo

Of course, my father's approval was no longer an issue. I knew about a lot more than Veritaserum now.

oOo

Pansy was still going on about Malfoy the Magnificent when I tuned her back in.

"Where are we going?" I asked her. We had been walking around for what felt like hours. I was starting to wonder if she was lost – which actually happened more often than you might think.

"Oh," she answered, coming out of her Malfoy trance momentarily, "Draco wanted us for something. But I have no idea where he could be…" she trailed off, sighing longingly.

I could not believe it.

"Do you mean to tell me, Pansy Parkinson, that you have been dragging me around Hogwarts castle on a mere _whim _of Malfoy's?"

"He said it was imp–"

"I don't give a damn what your pompous 'boyfriend' said, Parkinson!" I assured her, irritated. "I'm going back to the common room."

I started walking quickly toward the dungeons, ignoring Pansy as she hurried to catch me.

Just then I saw Draco approaching us, closely followed by a boy whose face I recognized, but whose name I did not know.

"Oh there you are," he said.

"Dracoooo…" Pansy drawled.

He ignored her, instead turning to look at me.

"Malfoy," I greeted him with a noncommittal nod.

"Prince," he smirked, clearly amused by the subtle undertone in my voice.

I glared at him and turned toward the unnamed boy, "Who's your friend?"

Before he could dignify this with a response, however, Pansy interrupted.

"Dracooo," she cooed, grabbing hold of his arm, "you said you needed to talk to me about something earlier. What was it?"

"I thought I told you to wait in the common room," he said impatiently.

"Well I got tired of waiting," she pouted, "You were taking so long. I- I missed you." She leaned in for a kiss, but Draco quickly turned his head so she got his cheek instead. Of course that didn't stop Pansy from fawning over him. He looked toward me, his eyes practically pleading _save me; I'll do anything_.

I rolled my eyes, moving away from them and taking the opportunity to introduce myself to the boy who was now standing there looking uncomfortable.

"Seeing as the _lovebirds_ are too busy for niceties," I addressed him, holding out my hand and granting him one of my rare smiles, "Hello. I'm Anne Prince. And you are?"

He blushed faintly and cleared his throat, ignoring my outstretched hand and muttering something I could barely hear.

"I'm afraid I didn't quite catch that…" I said, putting my hand down and taking a step back from him.

oOo

During this brief exchange, Draco had managed to free himself from Pansy. She frowned, but quickly recovered when she noticed the boy's flushed face.

"Somebody's _blushing_," she teased, coughing out a dry laugh.

"Shut up, Parkinson!" he yelled, reaching for his wand.

"Oh, so you _can_ speak," I smirked. "Listen, nothing would please me more than to watch you hex Parkinson, but I hardly think drawing your wand is necessary," I added, pushing down his arm. "After all, she was merely making an observation."

This only intensified his blushing. I withdrew my hand from his arm and crossed my arms over my chest, trying to conceal a chuckle behind a small cough, but unable to hide my persistent smirk.

Draco watched all of this with a mildly-amused look on his face; he then turned to me, also smirking.

"Prince," he began, "that bumbling idiot in front of you is Blaise Zabini. He's been _begging_ me to introduce you."

"And you decided to do him that favor?" I raised an eyebrow at him, "How unexpectedly… _kind_ of you, Malfoy."

It was Draco's turn to blush. He regained his composure so quickly, though, that you would hardly have known my remark had affected him at all.

"Yes, well. I have my moments," he said, clearing his throat and pushing Zabini toward me. "I'll let the two of you talk, then."

I looked questioningly first at Draco and then at Blaise.

"Well?"

There was a moment of heavy silence before he finally spoke.

"Hi," he managed.

I waved, expecting him to say more. When he said nothing, I sighed and indicated that he should follow me.

"Come on, then," I said, continuing on my previous path toward the Slytherin common room.

oOo

When we had put considerable distance between ourselves and Draco and Pansy, he spoke in a tone completely different from what I had heard him use previously. Clearing his throat, he addressed me directly.

"So, Anne, was it?"

I stopped walking briefly, turning to study his expression.

"That _has_ been my name since birth, yes."

He seemed momentarily stunned by my sarcasm, but managed to hide his astonishment behind a casual smirk.

"It's a nice enough name… I suppose."

I raised an eyebrow at him, "Well, it's nothing quite as fancy as _Blaise_, but I like it," I said, playing along. "Are you going to make a point any time soon?"

At this he blushed and reverted to his initial shy demeanor.

"Well, I've, uh, I've seen you around and, well–"

I interrupted him, "And you never once thought to introduce yourself? That's a bit rude," I remarked, feigning shock. "What? Have you been _hiding_ from me?" I added, not really meaning anything by it.

"You could say that…" he muttered, exhaling a semi-amused chuckle.

I stopped walking again, so suddenly that I was sure he would have bumped into me had he not been walking alongside me. He paused as well, studying me with his head slightly tilted, a curious look in his eyes.

"Are you alright?" he asked. And then, noticing the look in my eyes, "Did I say something…? I didn't offend you, did I?" He seemed to be in deep thought, obviously trying to recall whether he had said anything offensive.

"Relax," I said, "you're safe…" I paused briefly, "…for now."

He tensed, and then sighed. "You're not making this at all easy for me, Anne."

"I know you like me, Blaise," I said unabashedly. "Don't hurt yourself trying to tell me."

He apparently had not heard me at first because he was still muttering and mumbling, staring fixedly at the ground between us. When he finally registered what I had said, he looked up at me.

"You're just so– What?"

"I know you like me," I repeated, enunciating each word. While he mulled this over, I thought to myself, _the thing that puzzles me, however, is _why_?_

The only other boy at Hogwarts who acted like an idiot around me was Draco Malfoy, but he was Malfoy, he was an idiot around everyone; and we had never particularly gotten along. Blaise Zabini was either genuinely attracted to me, or this was just another of Malfoy's jokes – and I was _not_ amused. My eyes grew stormy and I didn't say anything for a long time. Zabini was starting to look seriously concerned, if not slightly terrified.

This could very easily be Malfoy's idea of a joke. _Of course!_ _Why _else_ would he have been so quick to introduce him to me?_ _He's never been one to do anyone favors, at least not unless he can get something in return. This_ has _to be a joke. _I could not explain it to myself. I momentarily forgot Blaise's presence and began pacing – overcome by these speculations.

oOo

"Anne?" he spoke up. From his tone, I could tell he'd been trying to get my attention for a while.

I cleared my throat.

"Sorry," I apologized. "I was just thinking…"

"I noticed." He chuckled nervously, "Would you care to share your thoughts; or perhaps answer my question?"

He asked a question?

"I – Sorry," I said again. "It's just," _Damn_… "Malfoy didn't… put you up to this, did he?" I asked casually, looking directly into his eyes, making it clear that if this was indeed his and Malfoy's idea of fun, they would both pay for it – starting with him.

He looked a little uncomfortable, but not guilty.

"What?"

I backed off from him a bit, frowning, "There just doesn't seem to be another explanation for–" but I didn't get to finish my sentence. How could I have? He had kissed me.

"No," he whispered against my lips. "This was definitely not Draco's idea."

I looked at him questioningly, biting my bottom lip gently.

"W—" I started, unable to form my words into a clever, much less coherent, response.

"I'll see you around...Anne."

"I—" He walked away before I could say anything.

* * *

Thank you for reading!


	2. Sleepover

**Episode 2 Sleepover**

I did not know how long Pansy had been talking and I didn't particularly care to know the content of her long-winded speech. I was too busy thinking about what had happened earlier – of how he had just kissed me, so naturally, and then left me standing there in stunned silence. I absentmindedly touched my hand to my lips. I decided I'd had enough of Pansy's one-sided conversation and I moved to leave. She paused for breath – finally.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

I blinked slowly, exaggerating my yawn, "Away from you," I answered. Then added, "I'm bored of _not_ listening to you talk about nothing."

"We should go to bed soon," she reminded me, either completely missing my sarcasm or else not caring. I decided it was probably the former; Pansy _is_ a bit slow.

"I know, Parkinson," I informed her, annoyed. "I'll be there."

She shrugged, leaving me free to go – as if I had needed her consent to do so in the first place. I turned on my heel and walked, not toward Pansy's and my room, but toward the boys' dormitories. It was not unusual for girls to cross over into the boys' rooms during the _day_.I had been there a few times before, but never at night – I could hear people muttering as I walked. I raised an eyebrow, smirking casually at the boys entering and exiting rooms, as I made my way toward Draco's room – the room that, thanks to Pansy, I now knew he shared with Blaise.

I didn't bother to knock.

oOo

Draco was, of course, absent. _Typical_. I wondered where he could be at this time of night, not because it mattered to me, but simply out of curiosity. I pushed the question from my mind when I noticed that Blaise was already sleeping soundly. I couldn't help the small smile tugging at the corners of my mouth. He looked so peaceful that it would almost have been a shame to wake him. But I had so many questions…

I absently brushed my fingertips across my lips again. _Why did you kiss me, Blaise Zabini?_ I thought to myself as I sat at the edge of his bed, careful not to disturb his sleep. _What could you possibly stand to gain?_

oOo

Since I can remember, Sev has taught me to exercise caution with people – _all_ people. He particularly emphasized questioning those with good intentions. Anything that seemed _too_ _good to be true_ probably had strings attached.

oOo

_The summer before first year, I spent a lot of time with Severus. In agreement with my parents, he was teaching me how to control my magic, as well as other useful lessons. Today, following a brief answer to my question about Legilimency and Occlumency – both of which he had promised to teach me when I was old enough – he was teaching me about people._

_"People," he was saying, "in meeting you, may have good intentions,_ or…other_ intentions. I know you're not a particularly open or trusting person, Annie, but some of the people you might meet will nonetheless find a way to…take advantage of you. Be wary of those with good intentions."_

_"I can take care of myself, Sev," I said, "You know that."_

_"Never underestimate anyone, Anne. And never _over_estimate yourself. Misjudging a person – particularly, misjudging yourself – could cost you. It could cost you… everything." _

_He seemed to be lost in thought. __I looked at him thoughtfully, processing what he had just said._

_"Sev," I asked him, "did you ever misjudge someone?"_

_"Once," he said quietly._

_Then he left._

oOo

I had been 11 then. Severus was preparing me for Hogwarts – for Slytherin, I had thought – somehow already knowing which house I would be sorted into. It had never occurred to me that perhaps Severus had been preparing me for something else entirely.

oOo

I didn't realize that I had fallen asleep until Draco came in at around 4 in the morning and shook me awake.

"What the hell are you doing here, Prince?" he hissed; though he seemed more amused by my presence than bothered by it.

I lifted my head from Blaise's stomach – which I must have at one point decided was a pillow – and sat up, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes before answering his question with another, "Where the hell have you _been_, Malfoy… Mm?"

This silenced him long enough for me to stretch and get my bearings. _What _was_ I doing here? _I wondered. Blaise had, miraculously, managed to remain asleep the entire time.

"He's a heavy sleeper," Draco said as though reading my thoughts. I raised an eyebrow at him. "This isn't the first time I've come in this late," he added casually, smirking as he grabbed a pair of pajama bottoms from his trunk.

_Oh._

"Well then. I suppose I should get some sleep in _my_ bed before breakfast," I said clearing my throat as Draco undid his belt.

He nodded, pulling off his shirt; as though completely oblivious to the fact that I was watching. He seemed to be enjoying this. I decided not to give him the further satisfaction of an audience.

"I'll see you at breakfast, Malfoy," I said coolly as I walked out of the room.

oOo

Pansy was, not surprisingly, snoring contentedly when I finally made it back to our room. I dropped backward onto my bed and stared at the ceiling for a while. I didn't think I could sleep any more even if I had wanted to, so instead of trying, I stood and looked in my trunk for a fresh change of clothes. After I'd dressed myself, I sat on my bed and waited for it to be an acceptable time to go up to the Great Hall for breakfast.

oOo

I found that I didn't have much of an appetite, so I focused my attention on nibbling at a piece of toast, sipping occasionally from a glass of orange juice. I looked up as Pansy walked into the Great Hall dragging Draco by the arm. I rolled my eyes. _Such a happy couple_,I thought to myself. They took seats in front of me without invitation. But it wasn't as if they had much choice, they were usually late for breakfast so the Slytherin table was quite full by now.

Blaise joined us shortly after the "lovebirds" took their seats. I nearly choked on my toast when Blaise sat down in the empty seat next to me, grazing my shoulder lightly as he reached for an apple. Draco did not let this go unnoticed.

"Are you alright there, Prince? You're supposed to _chew_ your food, you know."

"I'm fine," I glowered.

He smirked, "Of course you are. And why wouldn't you be? You got a _great_ night's sleep."

Blaise lifted his head at this, "How would you know how Anne slept, Draco?"

_Shit._

I bit my tongue. _Don't even _think _about it, Malfoy_, I warned him mentally.

But by now Pansy was curious as well. She gave me a look I took to mean… _Ugh. As _if.

I looked away. Pansy was _way_ too attached to Draco. I didn't really care what she thought, but I also didn't want any rumors getting spread around.

"Oh for the love of Merlin, just tell them already!" I said, a little more loudly than I had intended.

"Damn, Prince," he tsked. "You killed the suspense."

I tried to disguise my angry blush by chugging more juice. I wasn't completely sure I could trust myself with words at the moment.

Finally, smirking as always, Draco informed Blaise that I had "slept over" in their room last night. Blaise gasped in surprise, Pansy was shell-shocked. They clearly wanted him to provide more details.

"Oh please…" I said, wishing breakfast would hurry up and be over.

Draco turned to Pansy, "What time did Prince come into your room last night?"

"I didn't see…" Pansy said, her eyes widening.

"The hell you didn't!" I yelled, "You were snoring when I came back, Parkinson. And you're not exactly an early riser so it wouldn't surprise me if you thought I didn't come to bed at all."

I was tired of Draco dragging this out, and angry at him for even bringing it up.

"For _everyone's_ information," I said, because most of the table was listening now, "I fell asleep in Blaise Zabini's bed last night, alright?"

Then I picked up my bag and stormed out of the Great Hall amidst murmurs – no doubt rumors were already getting started.

Draco Malfoy would pay for this.

* * *

Thank you for reading!


	3. Rumor Has It

**Episode 3 Rumor Has It**

Throughout the day, I thought of how best to get Malfoy back for humiliating me at breakfast. During Potions, while I was half-heartedly preparing the Draught of the Living Dead as Severus had taught me, I thought maybe winning that vial of Felix Felicis would help, but at the last minute I decided I didn't want Slughorn making me the center of attention on the first day of class – particularly not after Draco had already drawn more than enough attention to me – so I finished the rest of the potion according to the textbook's instructions.

Next to me, Pansy was not having much success. I chuckled to myself – it still surprised me that she'd passed most of her OWLs with an E. I had personally been betting she would only do Acceptable at everything. I had achieved all O's of course, an achievement that I was proud of, but did not find brag-worthy. Unlike Hermione Granger, I didn't care to be the "know-it-all" of my House.

I looked toward the Gryffindor side where Granger was bustling about trying to do everything by the book. _Oh_, _big_ _shock_ _there_, I rolled my eyes. Granted, the girl had talent, but she knew nothing of taking risks – at least not academic ones. Thanks to Pansy, it was no secret that Hermione Granger had once punched Malfoy in the face. He'd probably deserved it, too. I thought briefly of punching him myself, but I really wanted to be original.

I finally stood back from my cauldron, offering to help Pansy clean up her mess before Slughorn called time and started walking around inspecting everyone's handiwork.

Of course the grand Harry Potter won. I shrugged this off; he probably just got lucky – luck seemed to favor the "Chosen One." It wasn't really important to me; I just wanted to get out of there. Draco seemed upset, though. I looked at him curiously… _What would _he_ want with Felix Felicis?_

oOo

After lunch, during which at least half of the Slytherin table was staring back and forth between Blaise and me, we had Herbology. That was a bore, and Draco was missing again. It bothered me to be thinking about where Draco could be – why would I care? So I tried to focus on the task at hand and the rest of the day passed fairly quickly.

At last it was time for my favorite class – this year being taught by my favorite cousin.

oOo

_It was another lesson in defensive magic. He was helping me perfect my shield charm. So far I had been disarmed, petrified, tickled, and stunned, but I was having a good time regardless._

_"You're my favorite cousin, Sev."_

_"Expelliarmus!"_

_My wand was gone before I had even realized what happened._

"_I'm your _only _cousin, Anne." He smirked, returning my wand and repositioning my arm. _

_I grinned, "You're my only _favorite_," before shooting a curse at him._

oOo

He nodded to me once everyone was settled down. Then he started his spiel on nonverbal spells which I had heard over the summer who-knew-how-many times. When the time came to find out if everyone had been paying attention, he paired us up for a bit of sparring practice – somehow I couldn't help thinking he did this more for his amusement than our learning. Considering the way people were paired, my suspicions were not without basis. He paired me with Malfoy.

I smirked, raising an eyebrow and mouthing an almost imperceptible thank you at him. Without knowing it, or perhaps suspecting that I needed an opportunity, Severus had given me my means of revenge on Draco Malfoy.

I drew my wand, "Ready when you are, Malfoy."

He hadn't been expecting to get thrown off his chair so quickly.

"Shield charms," Severus began talking over the mutterings of people unsuccessfully trying to nonverbally curse each other, "are a basic and essential part of defense." He looked at Draco, "Focus." Then he waved for us all to continue.

Almost two hours had passed; class was nearly over and Draco had so far managed a grand total of one jinx, a jinx which my shield charm had deflected easily onto him. Malfoy was just recovering from the effects of _Rictusempra _when I saw Severus walking toward the opposite end of the room_._

oOo

"How _dare_ you?!" I heard Pansy shriek, keeping the word _Protego _in my mind and my wand pointed toward Malfoy as I turned to see what the commotion was about. I did my best not to laugh out loud once I caught a glimpse of Pansy's face.

"Well maybe if you weren't so goddamned _slow_ at everything and focused a bit more on me than on _Dracoooo_, I wouldn't have got you so easily."

Pansy had been paired with Asphyxia Bellum, a long-time friend of mine who was also exceedingly knowledgeable in the Dark Arts. AB tossed her dark, wavy hair back, inspecting her nails lazily as Parkinson insulted the Bellum family and grieved about her "ruined" complexion. Once she grew bored of Pansy's recycled threats, AB glared at her darkly, "Oh, shut _up_, Parkinson."

_Petrificus Totalus_, I thought at the same time as Phyx. Draco and Pansy both hit the floor with a resounding thud.

Asphyxia turned to Sev, then toward me, "I think we passed, dude," she stated simply before gathering her things and following the rest of the class out.

I stayed behind to help Severus undo the jinxes on the people who had obviously not passed. We saved Parkinson and Malfoy for last and had a laugh at their expense before he sent me to dinner.

oOo

Asphyxia's calculating stares kept people away from us while we ate. The seats around us were fairly deserted, though I knew people were dying to ask me about what had happened with Blaise. The only people around us were Asphyxia's boyfriend, whom I knew only as Blue; Blaise, who had joined us after we'd been eating and talking for a while; and a few scattered underlings, as AB and I called anyone below our year.

AB smirked and raised her eyebrows at Blaise, then looked at me knowingly.

I couldn't help blushing a little, "What, Phyx? Don't look at me like that."

She chuckled, "Look at you like what?" she asked innocently, still staring.

I glared at her, smiling in spite of myself.

"You're burning a hole in my face," I said finally.

She looked back at Blue, tilting her head slightly – conspiratorially. "So what's up with Zabini?" She nodded toward him. He continued eating; not seeming to mind that she was talking about him as if he were not present.

Wanting to deflect the attention from myself and also at a loss for words, I nudged Blaise, "Yeah, what's up with you?" I said, trying not to blush when he looked at me bemusedly. I cleared my throat, explaining, "Phyx wanted to know…" I mumbled unconvincingly.

He turned toward AB, raising an eyebrow, "What's up with what?" he asked.

"Rumor has it you and my girl Anne are an item now," she answered him unfalteringly. "And I make it a point to investigate all rumors… thoroughly."

"She can't keep her nose out of anybody's business," I said, glowering at her, but trying to keep from laughing.

"I like to have accurate information," she defended herself. "So tell me, is it true that you two slept together?" she asked casually, "It's all _any_one's talking about."

I was ready to die.

oOo

"No," Blaise said easily. "Anne just likes to watch me sleep. She's _quirky_ like that."

I was stunned. "_What_?" I gasped, "I am _not_."

I noticed right away that Blaise, Blue, and AB were all laughing.

I smiled a little. Perhaps Blaise and I weren't quite "an item" yet, but from anyone's perspective, we were definitely friends.

* * *

Thank you for reading!


	4. Trials

**Episode 4 Trials**

The Slytherin common room was fairly empty. Most of the 6th years had a free period this morning, so all around there were people trying to catch up on assignments, not the least of which included a 15" essay for Slughorn detailing the proper preparation of the Draught of the Living Dead. After Potter's wonderful success, he had assigned the essay to "help everyone understand" how the potion worked and why Potter's had been so "perfect." He had given us a full week to work on it – which I did not understand at all, but since today was the absolute last day to hand it in, this was what Phyx, Blaise, and I were currently discussing.

My essay had been finished for some time now, but I thought it only fair to help them get through theirs. Blue, who was in 7th year, had class; and Draco and Pansy, who usually joined our study group for no other reason than to bother us, were absent.

After a while of detailing what I knew of the potion's ingredients and preparation to my distraught friends, I decided it was time for a break. As if to reinforce this suggestion, I stretched my legs out from under me so that my feet now rested on Blaise's lap, and crossed my arms behind my head, not bothering to stifle my yawn of boredom.

He looked up from his parchment and raised an eyebrow at me, clearing his throat.

"Comfortable, Prince?" he asked.

"Ouch. Forget my first name, did you, Zabini? And yes," I nudged him with my foot, smirking, "I am."

He returned my smirk casually, a devious glint in his eye.

"We'll see about that," he said as he trailed the feather of his quill along my leg, resulting in my leg twitching while I tried to avoid laughing.

Asphyxia looked up from her books at this, watching us knowingly. She rolled her eyes.

"Would you two stop that silly flirting? You're going to make me sick."

We both looked at her, a mixture of amusement and confusion in our eyes. I took advantage of the opportunity to cast a hover charm on Blaise's quill so that it tickled his nose while I responded to Phyx's comment.

"You're just grouchy because Blue's not here," I said, flicking my wand lazily and causing the feather to sweep all over Blaise's face.

"Well—" Phyx began indignantly, before Blaise's sneeze interrupted her. We both looked at him and laughed.

"Bless you," I said, putting my wand down and moving my feet off his lap, then returning my attention to my best friend.

This wasn't the absolute end of it for Zabini, though. He took advantage of his freedom to lunge toward me, presumably to grab my wand. Anticipating that this was his intention, I stood up from my seat and moved out of his reach. Unable to stop himself quickly enough, he plopped down face first on the couch. I had to work hard not to burst out laughing.

"Are you alright, Blaise?" I got the words out between barely concealed chuckles.

He did not respond for a long while. I moved closer to him to make sure he really was alright. Surely he couldn't have hurt himself that bad, the couches in the Slytherin common room were all very comfortable. I should have known he had only been baiting me. Almost as soon as I turned my back, he sat up and grabbed my waist, pulling me down onto his lap.

"That," he said close to my ear, "was uncalled for."

I couldn't help blushing a little.

oOo

Asphyxia cleared her throat loudly, "Get a room," she said before gathering her things and promptly making her way to her room.

I cleared my throat as well, removing Blaise's hands from around my waist and standing up. "Well, uh, I suppose we ought to get ready for Transfiguration, yeah?"

"Sure," he smirked. "Let's do that."

He swept all of his things into his bag, and stood up, slinging it over his shoulder.

"See you later, Anne." He winked as he walked away.

"Right, yeah, later," I said, although I knew he was too far to hear me now. _What's wrong with you, Prince?!_ I reprimanded myself mentally. _He's just a boy._

oOo

By lunch time I knew exactly what I needed to clear my head. Quidditch trials were today – and I was desperate to get in the air.

Flying had always been second nature to me. My father had a custom broom made for me after I'd managed to outgrow every broom I had ever owned since I was 11 years old. I loved my custom. It was beautiful – slim, fast, everything you would want in a broom – perfect for me. I would definitely be trying out for the Quidditch team this year. And how could I not? Draco was the team captain. I couldn't dismiss such a perfect opportunity to bother him.

And so, almost immediately after lunch, I was on the pitch, broom in hand, waiting patiently for Draco to show up to start the trials.

It was a long wait. A considerable crowd had gathered by the time I saw my least favorite Malfoy making his way toward us. He stopped momentarily when he saw me.

"D'you need something, Prince?" he inquired, seemingly taken aback by my presence on the pitch. Then he noticed my broom.

"No," he said simply as he continued walking.

"No?" I repeated, grabbing his shoulder and glaring at him.

"You heard me," he dismissed me and moved to stand in front of the others.

I fumed silently while he talked and sorted out who was trying for which position.

_So I can't try out, eh? We'll just see about that._

I was in the air before anyone even had time to mount their brooms.

"Malfoy!" I called down, pulling a golden snitch out of my pocket. "I have a proposal for you."

From that altitude it was difficult to tell exactly how angry he was at my lack of respect for his "authority," but I was fairly certain that he would take the bait. I was not wrong.

"What are you doing?" he hissed, "I said no."

"Yeah, see the problem with that is," I took the snitch out of my pocket, "I don't take 'no' for an answer." The snitch rested in my open palm for a brief minute, then flitted around Draco's face before disappearing from sight.

"If I catch it before you do," I circled around him, "and trust me, I will," I added matter-of-factly. "If I catch the snitch, then you put me on the team."

"And if you don't?" I could tell he was both intrigued and annoyed by the challenge I posed. I knew he would be eager to prove his superiority. I also knew that I could fly circles around him.

"If I don't," I chuckled, "well…" With that, I zoomed after the snitch.

Everyone below was watching us; some had even flown up to get a better view of the action. I saw the snitch shoot through the center hoop on the opposite end of the pitch. Perfect.

I executed a Wronski Feint, which Draco completely fell for, and then in one swift maneuver, the snitch was in my hand, all too easy.

"So which position do I get…Captain?" I smirked, tossing him the snitch once we were both back on the ground.

Everyone cheered. I took a bow. "The crowd is waiting," I told him.

Draco uttered a sound that resembled a snarl, "Have a seat, then, Prince," he said, motioning toward the bench. "The rest of you idiots, try to keep up." And he was back in the air.

oOo

I didn't stick around to watch everyone else's trials. I knew Draco would probably end up with basically the same team from last year, save for me and a couple of others who had already graduated. Besides, if he needed to tell me anything, he could do it in class. But I didn't see him until Defense Against the Arts.

I had my feet propped on the table and my textbook open, browsing through what would presumably be today's lesson. My cousin had not stepped out of his office yet, so all around us people were chatting away. Pansy seemed upset that Draco took the seat next to me by choice tonight and not by order of Severus.

Without looking up from my book, I addressed him directly.

"May I help you with something, Draco?"

He didn't really have time to answer; the room had suddenly gone quiet. Oh, class was starting.

"Feet _off_ the table, Miss Prince," Severus's teaching voice was unmistakable.

I tried not to laugh, "Sure, _Professor_."

One of the great things about being Severus's cousin was that other than Asphyxia and Blue, hardly anyone knew for certain that we were related. Therefore, while the joke was not lost on Severus – a fact that was obvious from his curled lip – everyone else thought I was trying to get a detention.

Of course I wouldn't.

Draco finally managed to get my attention sometime during Severus's lecture about the Unforgivable Curses, when I stopped listening to my cousin talk. I looked down at what appeared to be a blank piece of parchment beside my hand. Raising my eyebrow at him, I slid my wand partway out of my sleeve and pointed it at the parchment scrap. _Aparecium_, I said in my head. Just as I'd suspected, it was invisible ink. I studied the four words curiously.

_We need to talk._

Severus was off at the other end of the room, reading over people's notes. I pulled out my invisible ink quill and scribbled my response.

_Your room; skip dinner._

I watched him mutter the revealing spell and nod briefly.

oOo

"What is it, Malfoy?" I asked, bored. I was lying on Blaise's bed, feeling right at home. He sat across from me on his own bed. His extended silence was making me uncomfortable.

I sat up.

"What?"

"Why did you come to trials today?" he asked. "You didn't really 'try' for any—well, Seeker. But that position is filled, I'm afraid."

"I don't want to be the Seeker. Sure, it's what I do best, but I was only trying to make you look bad," I pointed out, as if it had not been completely obvious.

"So you _don't_ want to be on the team?" he asked with more than a hint of doubt in his voice.

"Of course I'm on the team," I said matter-of-factly. "I went to trials, didn't I?"

He looked at me amusedly. "Oh, you _went_ to trials."

I scrunched my nose at him, "I'll do a formal trial at our next practice if you'd like…Captain."

"You'll play Chaser," he said. "And my name is Draco," he added with a smirk.

I threw a pillow at his head which he caught easily.

"I _really_ don't like you, Draco Malfoy."

He stood and took a seat next to me on Blaise's bed, "Anne Prince," he leaned closer, reaching behind me to set the pillow back into its place before lowering his voice to a whisper, "You are a _terrible_ liar."

* * *

Thank you for reading!


	5. A Fine Line

**Episode 5 A Fine Line**

Pansy confronted me before I even had a chance to close the door.

"Why weren't you at dinner? Where were you?"

Oh, so she _had_ noticed.

"I was…" I shut the door and turned to face her, "…around," I answered slightly amused.

"Was Draco with you?"

"Hmm…?" I studied her face; a mixture of emotions washed across it – anger and genuine concern. "Oh, you mean Malfoy?" I asked, smirking as she tried to kill me with her eyes. "I might have seen him." I was enjoying this a little too much.

"Damn it, Prince! You were in his room again, weren't you!? Answer me!"

I laughed out loud at the absurdity of her accusation.

"Zabini shares that room with him, you know." I took the liberty of stepping around her and stretching comfortably on my bed.

"Zabini didn't skip dinner." She scowled. "He asked if I knew where you were."

"Oh? I didn't realize I was supposed to inform you of my whereabouts at every time of the day. My mistake," I yawned. "Are you done talking yet? I'm tired and I'm really not in the mood for th-"

"What were you and Draco doing in his room while everyone was at dinner!?" she screeched, cutting me off. "How _dare_ you try to take Draco away fr-"

"Shut up, Parkinson!" I pointed my wand at her, silencing her at once.

"Now," I said calmly, "let's set a few things straight, shall we?" It took a lot of effort to maintain my tranquil tone, "First of all, if I wanted to 'take Draco away' from you, I wouldn't have to _try_. I'm sure he would leave you willingly." At this she clenched her fists, but she made no move to stop me, so I kept talking.

"Secondly, I have a question for you. Okay?" When she nodded, I continued, "Were you aware that Quidditch trials were held earlier today?"

Her fists unclenched slowly, her eyes widening as a hint of comprehension began to dawn on her.

"I assume that means 'yes,'" I yawned a second time, "and I assume you are also aware that your precious Dracoooo is the team captain this year?"

I was rewarded with wider eyes – I was a little afraid they might pop out of her head.

"And you obviously know I love Quidditch," I stated, indicating the various Quidditch memorabilia that littered my half of the room - most pointedly the broom leaning casually against the foot of my bed. "So tell me, Pansy…_dearest_, what exactly do you _think_ Malfoy and I were _discussing_ during dinner, hmm?" I waved my wand drowsily, undoing the silencing charm I'd cast on her.

"Quidditch…" she mumbled slowly.

"Get it through your thick head, Parkinson," I told her darkly, "I _detest_ Draco Malfoy." I realized once I said it that it was more for my own reassurance than for Pansy's. She stared at me uncertainly for several minutes before I finally sighed, "Just go to bed, Pansy."

oOo

Later, at breakfast, Blaise interrogated me as well.

"Look," I said, "it's nice that you worry and all, but I really don't need to explain to you what I do or do not do and who I do or do not do it with, alright?"

"I didn't mean to—"

I cut him off, "Let's just eat breakfast."

We sat in silence for a while before Draco and Pansy decided to grace the Slytherin table with their presence. From the look of it, she was trying to convince Draco that they shouldn't sit with Blue, Phyx, Blaise and I, but with some of her snobby friends instead. They tittered back and forth as I watched them from behind my toast.

I turned my attention back to the rest of my food when I noticed Draco glance my way. "I need to speak with Prince, Pansy," he told her irritably.

Wonderful, he's using me as an excuse,

I thought, _there's no way _this_ could end badly_. Out loud, I asked Phyx to pass the apricot jam.

I was busy spreading this on a second piece of toast when Draco wiggled himself between Blaise and me.

"What do _you_ want?" I asked, taking a sip of orange juice. And then before he could respond, I leaned backward to look at Blaise, "Are you alright?"

Blaise readjusted his position on the bench to better accommodate Draco. "I'm fine, Anne," he grumbled.

I raised my eyebrows at Phyx, indicating Blaise with a slight head tilt. _What's _his_ deal?_ I asked with my eyes. Phyx just chuckled, putting more cereal into her mouth. I reminded myself to sit with her during classes today.

Malfoy cleared his throat loudly, "Prince, don't ignore me," he threatened.

"Or what…?" I challenged. "Anyway it was you who ignored me, Malfoy. As I recall, I asked you a direct question the moment you sat down."

"That she did, man." Blue spoke up. "If I were you, I'd answer it," he added with a wink.

Blue was the kind of attractive that made even the boys get nervous when he spoke to them. He had a commanding presence; his pale skin indicated that he was someone who did not spend a lot of time in the sun. He had jet black hair which, in the right light, looked almost blue; and his icy blue eyes reflected every color imaginable. It wasn't hard to see why Phyx had given him the nickname.

AB was damn proud to call him hers. And although Blue had to be the biggest flirt in Slytherin House, he reserved his affection for Phyx and Phyx alone. He liked to tell the flocks of girls who crowded around him that he was "Phyx-ated" on one girl and it would stay that way.

Blue leaned down to kiss the top of Phyx's head before rising from his seat. "Well, I'd best be off. I'll see you lot later."

"Don't have too much fun," I said by way of farewell. "I'm still waiting for an answer, Malfoy."

"You'll get it," he said, rising from his seat as well. "Same place, same time," he concluded cryptically before walking away.

Blaise looked like he wanted to say something, but held his tongue. _Good call, Zabini, _I thought.

I wasn't sure I could have answered the question that now hung in the air.

What _did_ Draco want?

oOo

I stuck with my previous decision to sit with Phyx during all our shared classes – unless otherwise assigned. Neither of us was really paying attention to Flitwick's ramblings; for the most part he liked to hover around Granger, so we could carry on a conversation relatively uninterrupted.

"What was up with Blaise this morning?" I asked, looking at her. "And Pansy last night was just the same… It doesn't make sense."

She chuckled the same way she had at breakfast. "Isn't it obvious, then?" she asked.

I tried to gauge whether or not she was joking. "What?"

She chuckled again, "Darling, really… You're going to sit there and tell me you don't know Zabini wants you? Tsk, tsk…"

I blushed, instinctively looking over my shoulder to make sure he hadn't heard her. He was sitting only a couple of tables behind us. "Shhh," I shushed her. "He does not."

"Oh come off it, princess. You can't keep your eyes off him either." She could be so brusque sometimes. That was part of the reason we were friends.

"That still doesn't explain his interrogation – or Parkinson's," I hissed, glaring at her for making me blush.

"Ah, but there it is again… completely obvious."

"What's obvious?" I asked a bit too loudly.

"Shhh, have some respect, you're in class," she said, mocking the tone Granger often used to reprimand underlings, "Honestly."

I stifled a laugh, "What are you seeing that I'm not?" I managed a little more calmly.

She sighed, "Must I spell everything out for you, dear?"

"Phyx…" I didn't want to beg.

"Jealousy makes people do strange things…" she trailed off.

I had been about to respond, but something distracted me when I turned to look at Blaise. Draco Malfoy was gone. How? When?

"Anne?" Phyx tried to get my attention by prodding my sides with her wand. "Hello?"

"Ow," I grumbled, rubbing my sides. "Malfoy's been acting a bit strange lately, don't you think?"

The crowd drowned her out before I could catch her response – class was over.

oOo

I couldn't ask Phyx what she had said because we didn't have any other classes together until Defense Against the Dark Arts. What really bothered me was the fact that I was thinking about Draco again. He _was _acting strange – stranger than usual – this year. But why did it matter to me? It shouldn't, but it did. I was distracted and Severus noticed.

"Not feeling well, Miss Prince?" he asked in his I-can't-give-you-preferential-treatment-just-becau se-we're-related-but-you-should-tell-me-if-somethi ng-is-wrong-because-I'm-worried-about-you voice.

"I'm fine, _sir_," I replied in my I-don't-need-you-to-baby-me-during-class voice.

"Very well," he looked at me uncertainly before shifting back to his do-not-undermine-my-authority voice, "Pay attention."

It was difficult to do so, though. So difficult in fact that by the time class was over Severus asked to speak to me in his office.

"Looks like you're going to miss your date with Malfoy," Phyx declared.

I chuckled, "I'll try to live with the guilt."

"Be strong." Then, smirking, she wished me luck with Sev and disappeared into the gloomy corridor.

oOo

I groaned as I slumped on Severus's chair. His office here wasn't as inviting as his office at home. It probably had to do with the considerably greater amount of dust that covered everything in the room.

"You should clean up in here," I observed humorlessly, propping my feet up on his desk.

His lip curled slightly as he walked into the room, "You should pay attention in my class." He pushed my feet off his desk and pulled the chair out from under me.

"Oi!" I gasped, just managing to stop myself from falling on my rear end.

"Sit," he offered, indicating the considerably less comfortable wooden chairs in front of him.

"No thanks," I replied. "I'll stand."

"Suit yourself."

"I will," I looked at him darkly. "Am I in trouble, _professor_?"

"_Are _you in trouble, Annie?" he asked, studying me carefully. "You're usually so… engaged."

"That's not going to work, Sev. You taught me better than that." I could tell he was trying to read in my thoughts what I was refusing to tell him.

"Yes, it appears that I have," he paused, thinking.

"But…?"

"There is still the matter of what you missed in class today while your eyes were wandering toward a certain Malfoy," he smirked, disregarding my almost-interruption.

I made a sound between a groan and a growl.

"Why the sudden interest in Malfoy, Annie? Weren't you always telling Nicholas how very much you despised 'that pompous brat'?"

Nicholas Prince – my father. He and Lucius Malfoy were great friends and were always trying to get Draco and me to "get to know each other." As a consequence of that, Draco and I had grown up together. We had both spent a considerable amount of time at each others' homes – we had been rivals since the day we met.

oOo

_We touched down at the front door of Malfoy Manor. This was the first time I had actually seen the place. Usually when my father and Lucius had "business" to discuss, they would do so in my father's study. Today, however, my father had told me that he wanted me to meet Lucius and Narcissa's son, Draco. I had agreed to come with him enthusiastically. I loved Narcissa and Lucius Malfoy like they were my second parents, so naturally I thought Draco would be like a brother to me. It would be nice to have a friend before it was time to go to Hogwarts. I was excited._

_"Nicholas, Annie, welcome." Lucius greeted us with a nod. Narcissa stood smiling by his side._

_"Lucy! Cissy!" I said in as grown-up a manner as a 7-year-old can manage._

_Lucius laughed and walked off with my father as Narcissa offered me her hand. I took it and followed her to the Malfoys' living room._

_"Draco, darling; come and say hello to Annie," she called as we entered._

_I looked around from behind Narcissa's skirt at the slight, blonde boy walking pompously toward us. I chuckled; he looked like a younger Lucius, with shorter hair._

_"Hi," he said simply. "Mother, is father ever going to teach me to fly?" he asked her._

_"Oh, dear, well your father's quite busy at the mo-"_

_"I can teach you," I offered. "Cissy, does Draco have a broom? I left mine outside."_

_"Certainly, Annie," she said, caught a little off guard. "I'll get it and meet you there."_

_"Thank you."_

_I grabbed Draco's arm and practically dragged him toward the front yard. "You're going to love flying," I assured him._

_"Let go of me, stupid girl," he huffed. "What could __you possibly know about flying any—?"_

_I was in the air before he could finish his question. "If you don't want to learn, stupid _boy_," I called down to him, "that's_ your_ problem." And I flew off before he could say anything further._

oOo

"He _is_ a pompous brat," I said sourly.

"But…?" Severus raised an eyebrow curiously.

"But nothing, Sev! I hate him."

"I see…" he smirked knowingly. "Go to dinner, Anne."

oOo

"Princess!" I heard Phyx call me over almost as soon as I walked into the Great Hall. I wondered how long my talk with Severus had lasted. The Slytherin table was almost full now. I joined her and Blue just in time to catch the next course.

"Did you get your first detention of the year?" Blue asked, pulling Phyx closer so that she was practically sitting in his lap now. There must have been some underlings staring at him because as soon as he did this, they stopped whispering.

I rolled my eyes. "Nope; I got off with a warning."

"How _do_ you do it?" he asked, grabbing a strawberry off his plate and taking a bite before offering it to Phyx.

"Someone's _hungry_ tonight…" I remarked, raising an eyebrow as I helped myself to a strawberry off his plate as well.

"Starving," he smirked before kissing Phyx full-on, not caring that the underlings were staring again, or perhaps doing it for their benefit.

I laughed. "Well, I know _I'm_ pretty hungry." So I grabbed his plate and started eating.

When Blue finally let Phyx catch her breath, she addressed me, "Did you _notice_ Zabini wasn't here?

I looked up, holding up a hand as a signal for her to wait. I finished chewing before I responded, "I noticed." Then I went back to my food.

"Hm," she raised her brows before turning her attention back to Blue.

After I couldn't take any more of their public displays of affection without losing my dinner, I excused myself.

"I'm going to bed," I told them, getting up to leave.

"You're going to_ whose_ bed?" Blue asked, winking.

I ignored him, not wanting to acknowledge that I really wasn't going to _my_ bed.

* * *

Thank you for reading!


	6. Change

**Episode 6 Change**

I had my hand on the doorknob, ready to just walk right in again. I hesitated briefly before taking my hand off the knob and knocking instead. When no one answered, I thought again about simply letting myself in. I was about to do so when the door swung open.

"Draco's not here," he said before I even got a word out.

"You're awake," I managed, sounding more surprised than I'd intended to.

"It's early," he shrugged, leaving the door open, giving me the choice of whether to enter or not. He hadn't said to come in, but I did so anyway, closing the door behind me.

"You weren't at dinner," I began awkwardly.

"I wasn't hungry."

He dismissed my attempts at conversation so easily.

I frowned, opening my mouth slightly as if to say something else, but sighing instead as I took a seat at the foot of his bed. I sat for a long time, just watching him. Neither of us said anything until the silence was almost unbearable.

Finally he spoke, "Why are you here, Anne?" he asked quietly. "I told you, Draco's not here. I don't know when he'll be b—"

I interrupted in the only way I thought would have any effect, realizing as I did so that I had wanted to do this for a while. He pulled away slightly at first, taken aback by the suddenness of it, I guessed. But then we were kissing – really kissing – until, blushing, I broke us apart.

"I'm not here for Draco," I said softly, putting space between us again as I slowly retreated to my seat at the foot of his bed. He let out a long breath, not saying anything as he fell back slowly onto his pillow. Almost imperceptibly I began to rise to my feet, preparing to leave.

I really had to stop acting on my impulses. Severus had told me this many times.

oOo

_"It's going to get you into serious trouble one day, Annie," he said from my balcony._

_I supposed he had been waiting there for some time. I had flown off after a fight with my father about "nearly killing" Draco. It wasn't like I_ had_ killed him. Geez. It had just been a little curse – all in fun, although of course my father didn't see it that way._

_"Severus!" he had thrown his hands up desperately, "If you keep teaching her these things, then what's going to happen when she gets seriously upset with me?"_

_"Nicholas, she's young. And, if I may say so, the boy_

_did ask for it."_

_"I don't care! You can't teach her any more outside of Hogwarts."_

_I had stormed toward my room, out the window before anyone could say anything. I often took to flying away from things. I hated conflict – especially with my parents._

_"You need to learn to control your impulses, girl."_

_"What am I supposed to do, Sev?" I asked, landing softly. "Am I supposed to 'be nice' to Malfoy? He doesn't exactly make it easy. Pompous, spoiled, annoying little–" I would have gone on for hours if Severus hadn't stopped me._

_"Just try," he said._

oOo

But here I was, two years since and I still couldn't take his advice. I had almost forgotten where I was and who I was with when Blaise spoke up.

"Where are you going?" He lifted his head, studying me curiously with his head slightly tilted – the way Sorrow, my owl, often did when I talked to her.

I looked at him.

"Oh," I tried to think of a logical response to his question, "Um, I just… nowhere."

"Mm, well instead of going 'nowhere,' you could stay here," he suggested, "with me."

He then patted the space next to him, inviting me to join him. I pressed my lips together, thinking about whether or not it was a good idea to do so.

oOo

After a few minutes of silently studying me, he shrugged.

"Goodnight, then," he said, adjusting himself more comfortably and closing his eyes.

I sighed and walked back toward his bed, taking a seat beside him. Although his eyes were already closed, I knew he couldn't possibly be asleep yet.

I turned slightly, "Blaise… I—" I didn't get to finish my thought.

"Anne," he whispered, pulling me toward him. "Stay with me."

I cursed myself internally for not having walked out the door when I had the chance. When I had walked in, my intention had been to ask what exactly was going on between us. I never got the opportunity.

I realized, as I softly replied, "Okay," that I had my answer.

oOo

My eyes shot open. Someone was watching me – he had probably been watching me for some time. I didn't have to guess who it was.

"Malfoy," I said without moving.

"Good morning, Prince," he smirked.

I looked down and realized Blaise still had his arm around me. I smiled slightly, then took his hand and slowly sat up to face Malfoy.

"When did you get back?" I asked, yawning.

"Oh, I'd say not long after you two," he indicated Blaise's sleeping form. "Incidentally, you look _adorable_ when you're sleeping."

I gasped indignantly before narrowing my eyes at him, "Shut up."

He laughed, "You should get back to your room. Pansy's probably wondering where you spent the night," he winked.

"Please, that girl won't be awake for at least another hour."

We both laughed at this.

"Still," he said, "rumor's have been going around that you're trying to take Parkinson's man."

I coughed, choking back a laugh.

"Rumors you started, no doubt," I said, moving Blaise's arm to his side and standing up to stretch.

Draco rolled his eyes as I kissed Blaise's cheek before walking toward the door.

"Get out of here, silly girl," he smirked.

I stuck my tongue out at him before walking out of the room.

oOo

Back in our room, Pansy was (as I had predicted) still sleeping. I glanced at the clock – it was nearly 7. I had time for a shower before breakfast. There was not really a point in sleeping anymore. I checked to make sure Pansy was really sound asleep before grabbing a clean set of robes and heading toward the washroom.

I was still getting ready when I heard Pansy stir.

I silently prayed that she wouldn't make a big scene like she had the day before.

She surprised me by actually knocking on the door, "Prince?"

"Yeah, it's me," I answered.

"…time did you get back?" she mumbled, obviously still half asleep.

"Err…" I figured it was best to be at least partially honest in order to avoid conflict, "I got back while you were sleeping."

"Whe—…you?"

"What?" I asked, opening the door to look at her.

Her hair was a mess; I silently stuck her hairbrush in her hand. She looked at it, then at me. Then, pointing her brush at me as a sign that I should give her a moment, she yawned before asking her question again more clearly.

"Where were you?" she asked, moving around me into the washroom to finish waking herself up.

"Mm," I smiled, "with Zabini."

She raised her eyebrows, "Really?" she gurgled from behind her toothbrush.

I looked at her in disgust, "Ew, Pansy. Don't talk with your mouth full."

She finished the rest of her morning routine, glowering at me the entire time.

While she was getting dressed, I grabbed my book bag and tucked my wand in my sleeve as I walked toward the door.

"See you later, Parkinson," I waved, walking out.

What just happened?

I thought before venturing out into the castle.

oOo

"You smell nice," Blaise observed while we were having breakfast.

"I showered," I responded.

He shook his head, "You always smell nice."

I allowed myself a brief smile, "Thanks."

Phyx kept giving me pointed looks while I avoided Blaise's flirting as much as possible.

I blushed and tried to keep my attention focused on my breakfast.

oOo

She cornered me on the walk to Potions.

"Spill it," she said.

"Hey, Phyx," I started, "'How are you, Anne?' Oh, I'm fine. How are you?"

She waved her hand dismissively, "You and Zabini," she repeated, "spill it."

I chuckled, shaking my head, "I'll tell you in class."

I waited until Slughorn was sufficiently immersed in his animated discussion of the day's potion before turning to look at Phyx.

"We had another sleepover," I said nonchalantly as I flipped through my book.

Her mouth dropped a bit, but she quickly recovered, "And?"

"We kissed…" I continued, suddenly very interested in page 394.

"And?" she was clearly excited now.

"I stayed with him," I said, remembering what he'd asked in not so many words.

oOo

"We need a double date!"

Of course she had told Blue immediately. I was sitting with them under a gnarled oak tree on the grounds during our free period.

"Aren't you supposed to be in class?" I asked petulantly.

"History's boring;" he said simply, "Phyx is _much_ more interesting."

I rolled my eyes. "No double dates." I declared.

"Come oooooon, girl." Phyx could be very convincing when she set her mind to it. It was another characteristic of hers that had made us easy friends. "It'll be fun. We can do it at Hogsmeade!" She was grinning now; there would be no turning back.

I groaned, "Blaise and I haven't been together _one_ day and you two are already making plans for us."

"Making plans for whom?"

"Blaise," I looked up, "hey."

"Hey," he said, bending down to kiss my forehead.

I wrinkled my nose, "How was detention?"

"Eh." He made a face, then he repeated his question, "Who are Asphyxia and de la Mourte making plans for?"

"No one," I replied in a small voice, feeling my face grow warm.

"We need a double date," Blue repeated, filling Blaise in on the subject of our conversation.

"No, we don't," I insisted. "No double dates."

"Actually, that sounds like fun," Blaise conceded.

"Traitor," I mumbled.

"It's settled, then," Phyx grinned decisively. "We'll make a day of it!"

* * *

Happy Halloween! Thanks for reading!


	7. Making Plans

**Episode 7 Making Plans**

"Why don't you just move in with us?" Draco asked, semi-seriously.

Now that Blaise and I were "official," I spent most of my time in his and Draco's room. It was agreed, however, that I would sleep in my own room – Blaise wanted to protect my reputation. I had rolled my eyes at this provision, but had agreed with little argument.

"You know, your mother asked that exact question last year," I said absentmindedly, setting down the book I had been glancing through.

"What?" I had clearly caught him off guard.

I raised an eyebrow quizzically, "What?"

"My mother…wanted you to _move in_ _with us_?"

"I didn't say that," I said slowly – I hadn't said that, had I?

"You did," he insisted. "Why did she ask you to move in with us? _When…_?"

I sighed. There was no going back now, I supposed.

"I needed a place to stay over the summer," I started. "My father was travelling a lot last year and didn't want to leave me with – he didn't want to leave me alone." I said, stopping myself from telling Draco Malfoy that I was related to Severus Snape. "Cissy offered to let me stay at the manor; she figured it would help you and I become 'better' friends."

"You weren't at my house last summer…" he hesitated, "Were you?"

"No," I picked up my book again.

"Well," he cleared his throat before going on, "I guess my mother had the right idea."

I lifted my head and studied him carefully, arching my brow again. "You think so?"

"Well," he cleared his throat again, "you haven't tried to kill me yet. That alone makes you a better friend in my view."

"Oh yeah, that _definitely_ makes us friends." I laughed.

"Things have changed a lot between us, Anne," he said quietly.

I blinked. Had Malfoy just used my first name in casual conversation? Usually it was 'Anne Prince' or 'Prince' or a number of other names. It had never been just 'Anne' – especially not in that tone…

"Umm," I cleared my throat, chuckling nervously, "I guess you could say that."

He set down his book and walked the short distance between us to sit across from me on Blaise's bed.

"Look," he said, "I know it seems stupid to think so," he smirked, "but maybe we've always been friends – in some way."

"If that's the case, we have to be the strangest pair of friends in existence." I couldn't help smirking as well, "How many times have I almost killed you over the years?" Then I laughed.

"A few," he responded, also starting to laugh.

oOo

We probably would have missed lunch if Blaise hadn't walked in just as Draco was letting go of my hand after having helped me up.

The look on Draco's face almost made me laugh out loud again, but I stopped myself, looking at Blaise instead. "All set?"

He nodded, holding out his arm for me. I walked over and squeezed his hand, leaning up to kiss him lightly. Then I turned to Draco, "See you at lunch?"

"It's a date," Draco managed to say before Blaise shut the door.

oOo

Blaise remained quiet on the walk to lunch, though he never let go of my hand. Finally, before we walked into the Great Hall, he stopped and pulled me aside.

"How long have you known Draco?"

"Since we were 7," I said easily. "Our parents are friends."

"Makes sense," he muttered.

"Hmm…?"

"It makes sense that you and Draco would be friends too," he said, elaborating, "Since you grew up together, it's natural that you're close."

I choked on my laugh, "What? Close? Malfoy and I…?" I thought of how ridiculous that sounded. Draco and I might have been a lot of things while growing up together, but close friends was not one of them. "Until recently, Malfoy and I have done nothing but insult each other," I started. "Every year, there's been at least _one_ occasion in which I almost kill him. How do you get 'close' out of that?" I asked, bemused.

He smirked, "It's precisely those things that make you such good friends, Anne. If you really despised him as much as you claim to, then you wouldn't give him even a hint of your attention."

"Hmm… Well, you don't _seem_ jealous…" I thought out loud.

"Oh, I am," he put his arms around my waist and pulled me to him, "So," kiss, "very," kiss, "jealous."

We stood there, a few paces away from the entrance to the Great Hall, with his hands resting against the small of my back, my arms wrapped loosely around his neck, our kissing unaffected by the people walking in to lunch.

Then Phyx and Blue walked by us. She coughed. "Ahem," she stated, "it's lunch time, AP. It's not kiss-Zabini's-face-off-in-front-of-the-whole-schoo l time."

"I wish it was kiss-_Phyx's_-face-off time," Blue pouted.

I pulled away from Blaise slowly, chuckling at this. "Well, I guess we should have lunch, then, eh, Blaise?"

"I guess so," he smirked, sneaking in another quick kiss before pulling me into the already-full Hall, Blue and Phyx following behind us.

oOo

Once we were all settled and lazily putting food into our mouths, Blue had to open his and ruin my meal.

"So," he addressed Blaise, "when's that double date happening?"

Of course Draco had to appear just then. _Why not?_ I thought to myself, but I was also wondering how and why Draco had suddenly started making a habit of popping in and out of places unexpectedly.

"Double date?" he cocked an eyebrow, the incredulous look in his eyes clearly directed at me.

I covered my face; "It wasn't my idea," I said from the safety of my hands.

He smirked, sliding in beside me on the bench like he wasn't an obvious fifth wheel.

"Whose, then?" he asked, looking at Blaise. "Was it your idea, Zabini?"

"Actually," Blue gave Draco one of his signature I-dare-you-to-mess-with-me looks, "it was mine."

Draco's intake of breath was so sharp; I almost burst out laughing on the spot.

"Oh," he said casually, recovering quickly from his momentary de-la-Mourte-scares-me lapse. I could tell he was thinking of something clever to say, but he never found many words around Blue – I found it amusing. He looked at something just past Phyx's shoulder – some_one_ – Pansy, to be precise. Then his smirk returned. Clearly, he had an idea.

_If you say it, I'll kill you_, I thought at him.

"Care to make it a triple?"

Too late.

oOo

The day dragged on after that. I avoided speaking to anyone until later, in the safety of Phyx's room. I still couldn't get over how she had managed to go without a roommate. Meanwhile, I was stuck with Pansy – Dumbledore hadn't let me be Phyx's roommate because he thought "Ms. Parkinson could learn something" from me, whatever that meant.

I paced the room, huffing like a petulant child.

"'The more the merrier'? I can't believe you agreed to this!" I all-but-yelled at her, "Why didn't you say no?"

She said nothing while I kept ranting, just smirked at me and shook her head.

"I mean, a double date with _Blue_ is bad enough," I continued – and it was true, "but now I have to put up with Malfoy _and _Parkinson too? I don't know if I can handle that."

"Oh, would you relax," she chuckled, "I think it'll be…_fun…_"

She was tapping her wand pensively on her palm, awaiting my response. I had been about to question her sanity, but hearing the implications in her tone, I stopped mid-sentence. Perhaps Asphyxia Bellum, my notorious partner in crime, was onto something after all. We would indeed make a day of it.

* * *

Thank you for reading!


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